The Greek Island of Rhodes

The Island of Rhodes

(click on the small image below to see the full size image)

Rhodes is a beautiful Greek island that mixes classical, medieval and modern. The "Old Town"is a walled medieval city that was built over the classical city. The picture to the right shows the port and the mistiqueof Rhodes nicely.
Windmills also line the port. They are beautiful and useful.
The pedistals in this picture are where it is believed the "Colossus of Rhodes" once stood. The Colossus was a giant statue of the god Apollo who was theprotector of the island. Visiting ships would have to sail through the legs of thegod before docking at the port. It is believed that the statue was destroyed by an earthquake in classical times.
Walking through the Old Town is like a trip back in time. Go down a side street and this is what it is like. The roads are narrow and cobblestone and the walls are stone. You can easily imagine what walking these streets was like in the middle ages.
In the Old Town you find the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes. It is housed inthe hospital of the Knights of St. John which was built in the 15th century. The pictures to the right demonstrate the medieval architecture of the museum. The museum has a large courtyard surrounded by vaulted porticos. In the courtyard is a tombstone in the shape of lion with the head of a bull. Directlyin front of the tombstone is a floor mosaic. Also found in the courtyard are cannonballs that were made from marble and limestone and granite. On the second floor of the museum is a greathall. There are other tombstonesand sarcophagi housed here; but the hall itself is something worth a visit. One of the most famous holdings of the museum is the statue of Aphroditebathing (shown below).




Just inside a gate that divides the Old Town from the new city, there is the ruins of a temple that was dedicated to Aphrodite. Not much remains, but it is definately worth a look. Below is a frieze from the temple that was lying just outside the fenced in area.
There are other sites on Rhodes that are worth seeing, if you have the time. One of these sites is the Palace of the Grand Master built at the end of the 7th century AD. It is a large and impressive structure with museum pieces that chronicles the history of Rhodes. Make sure you leave lots of time to see this site! Another site to see is the Acropolis of Lindos. The view is spectacular and the ruins are said to be well preserved. It is about a half hour drive from the city of Rhodes. You need to be in good shape to climb the Acropolis, but after the climb you can relax on the beautiful beach.